


Blueberry Savior

by Phisobi



Series: Prompt Oneshots [5]
Category: Kari-gurashi no Arietti | The Secret World of Arrietty, Original Work, The Borrowers - All Media Types
Genre: Almost Starvation, First Meetings, Fluff, G/T, GT, Giant/Tiny, Happy Ending, I'm Bad At Titles, M/M, Muteness, Oneshot, Prompt Fic, Tumblr Prompt, borrower au, content warning for homelessness/abrupt eviction, exterminators, trauma-induced muteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:54:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26282236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phisobi/pseuds/Phisobi
Summary: Prompt oneshot: #20: "How many of you are there?"Todd, his partner Kip, and their daughter Primm find themselves in a not-so-pleasant situation after being abruptly evacuated from their home.Charlie, the baker, has a heart as sweet as her cookies and just wants to help the family out.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character, Todd/Kip
Series: Prompt Oneshots [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1868347
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	Blueberry Savior

Todd paced back and forth, arms folded across his chest. Behind him, his tail flicked in agitation.

"I just don't get why they're so paranoid." He huffed. "And cruel." 

Kip sighed, leaning against the inside of the tire they've called home for the past two days while they sorted things out. 

"Humans work in mysterious ways." Was the shorter borrower's tired response, knowing that his partner likely wasn't in the mood to listen to his reasoning.

Todd clenched his hands into fists, wanting to argue _so much more_ , but he bit his tongue and held back the fiery words. He didn't feel like fighting, didn't have the energy. And Primm, their adoptive daughter, shouldn't have to listen to him yell about how terrible their situation was when she was already terrified to the core. Ever since their abrupt eviction she hasn't said a word. She wasn't always the most talkative to begin with, but seeing her clam up completely like when they'd first found her was heartbreaking to witness.

Todd let his back hit the smooth rubber wall, and slid down it until he was in a sitting position on the rounded bottom. With a defeated look in his tired green eyes he stared out into the dimly lit alleyway surrounding them.

It was as grungy as alleys could get, dirt and grime caked onto nearly every surface, but it was thankfully uninhabited for the most part; There had only been one mouse to run by their temporary home so far. But, unfortunately, the lack of foot traffic meant a lack of food, and the three of them were slowly starting to starve.

They hadn't had time to take anything but their emergency borrowing bags with them, containing things like their hooks, some string, and a few spare matches, but in Kip's mind he was just thankful that they got out alive at all. Him and Primm were sitting peacefully at home in their den just two days ago when Todd had burst in, announcing that he'd overheard the humans' plans for an exterminator to be there _that evening_. If he hadn't been up in the walls to be close enough to eavesdrop, the three of them wouldn't have made it.

Kip looked over to Primm, his stomach twisting into a knot from both hunger and emotion. She looked so frail, so fragile and sad. So _unlike_ _her_ , with her bubbly personality and contagious giggles. It _hurt_ to look at, and he averted his gaze as they locked eyes so that she wouldn't see the pain he felt. He knew that she was in pain too, and it was his responsibility to fix that.

With another short sigh he walked over to the edge of the tire, looking past the pile of other human junk beside the dumpster. He hadn't explored the length of the whole alley yet since they've been here, but he figured that now was as good of time as ever. If he waited until tomorrow, he probably wouldn't have the energy to stand. 

"Where are you going?" Todd asked in his usual gruff voice, but Kip could hear the twinge of worry in his voice. 

"Scavenging," Kip answered over his shoulder, jumping out of the tire and onto the cold, hard ground.

"For what?" Todd scoffed, dropping down the ledge to follow him. "There's nothing out there."

"Not down here there isn't," Kip agreed, pointing down to the other end of the alley, "But there might be over there."

"No," Todd was beside him now, shaking his head. "Kip the street is _right there_ , what if someone sees you? --Or what if they _don't_ see you and crush you, or they _take you or_ \---"

"Todd," Kip cut him off, reassuring his partner's worried soul for the hundredth time that evening. "I'll be fine. It's almost nighttime, the streets are empty. Plus, no one's going to look _here_ of all places, I mean _look at it_." He gestured vaguely to the dingy alley around them, and the considerable lack of people nearby.

Todd was silent, chewing his cheek in thought. He hated when Kip had a point, which was almost always.

"Just stay here with Primm," Kip suggested, reaching out to hold Todd's hand and rub his thumb over the back of it. "I promise I won't be too long. If there really is nothing over there, we can find a new place tomorrow." 

Wordlessly, Todd nodded. He knew that there was nothing he could do to stop his partner from going to explore, and a part of him deep down hoped that he'd be successful. All of their stomachs were desperate for something to eat, and if there was even a slight chance at finding food, they were going to take it. 

After a couple seconds of silence Kip dropped their hands, and Todd turned around to go sit with Primm. The shorter borrower spared one last glance at the tire before continuing on into the dark.

He mostly stuck to the walls, traveling along them until something got in his path. It was never something of interest though, just more human junk. A pallet here, some buckets there, broken appliances, etcetera. He had happened upon a few interesting plastic bags slumped up against the far wall about halfway down the alley, but immediately abandoned them upon seeing that their contents weren't edible.

He kept moving, bickering to himself about the whole situation. He was just as mad as Todd over everything, but he always chose to be the bigger person and not show it. At least _one_ of them had to try and remain positive, but lately that's been getting more and more difficult to do. Especially with Primm's life on the line now, too. The streets were no place for a child.

"They just _had_ to think we were mice," He grumbled through gritted teeth, missing the warmth of their home more and more as the minutes droned on. He figured though, that being thought of as just a house rodent was better than outing their entire species to humanity. He wasn't as afraid of the humans as Todd and other borrowers were, but that didn't mean he wasn't still afraid. They were big, lumbering, and could crush him on a whim.. but what scared him the most was their unpredictability, and their need for control.

Kip shook his head free of the worries, focusing on the ground in front of him. He was out _looking_ for something after all, he couldn't afford to get so distracted by his thoughts. In the distance he could faintly smell freshly baked goods, and it made his stomach growl something fierce.

He continued on, stopping at the corner of a large dumpster. He could tell that at one point the paint on the outside of it used to be yellow, but it wasn't anymore. It peeled away from the surface from years of weathering and use, adding to the grim aesthetic of the dirty alley he was _determined_ to not spend the last few days of his life in.

To his dismay nothing of food status had been dropped around the dumpster. But at the right side of the it sat a few cardboard boxes, stacked haphazardly on top of one another. Kip only had to study it for a second before realizing that they created platforms for him to climb up, all the way to the top. He craned his head back to see the top of the huge metal container, realizing with a grin that the lid was wide open. There had to be _something_ inside, right?

To his left was the end of the alley, blending out into a not-so-popular street. He couldn't see a single human in sight, giving him the confidence to be out in the open. He took a deep breath, gathering up what little energy his body had left, and started walking towards the boxes. From his side he grabbed his hook, swung it a few times, and launched it into the air. It stuck into the corner of the cardboard, and didn't come free when it was tugged, so he knew he was good to go.

Pulling the string tight, Kip began the climb to the top. It was slow and tedious, and was more out of breath than he'd care to admit, but after a lot of determination and hard work he finally made it to the top. 

The top to the dumpster seemed to be split in half, with the right half closed and the left wide open. He couldn't see into it from where he was on the highest box, and sighed in annoyance when he realized that he'd have to jump onto the lid to get a better look. He backed up, got a running start, and leapt across the daunting gap, knowing deep down that he'd go to any limits to feed his family.

He trekked along the sleek plastic lid all the way to the middle, carefully peering down beneath him. He frowned, eyes landing on just more tightly sealed black bags, too low for him to reach. A groan of frustration left him; This had been a bad idea after all.

Just as he was about to turn away and consider his options once more, a door right beside the dumpster suddenly opened, making his attention whip behind him. The sudden burst of movement and noise had thrown him off his balance and he tripped over his own feet, falling backwards into the dumpster with a startled yelp.

He hit the bag with a soft pained noise, quickly moving to sit up and look around him. Panic started to settle in, but it spiked to the highest it's ever been as a _human_ loomed over the open side of the dumpster, directly above him.

"Oh," the girl simply said, eyes wide with astonishment, "You certainly don't belong in there." 

Kip stared up in fear, having never been so close to one of the humans before. Her light brown hair was pulled up into a messy bun, stray strands draping down her face. There was a white powder on her cheek too, but he didn't pay it much attention. He was too captivated by her piercing stare, feeling like he had just doomed his race by being spotted. Nervously, he began to shake.

"Wait a minute, were you looking for food?" The human asked, but her tone wasn't angry. Instead it sounded more.. sympathetic?

The smell of baked goods had returned, and the borrower quickly realized that it was coming from inside. Kip wasn't sure if it was the hunger that made him do it, or the sleep deprivation, or his fear, but he gave the giant a tiny nod. 

"Well, you probably won't find anything appetizing in there," She chuckled, but by the look of the little guy's clothing she doubted that 'appetizing' would matter as long as it were edible. She _had_ found him in the trash, after all. It was honestly a sad sight.

"Do you want to come inside and eat something warm?" She offered, extending her hand palm up as an invitation. 

Kip's throat closed up and his words failed him; he didn't know what to say, so he simply shook his head.

The human hadn't done anything except talk to him, but that didn't make him any less afraid. It was probably a trap to lure him in, to separate him from the others. He kept shaking his head as her hand approached, backpedalling on the uneven bag.

But, much to his surprise, the crushing grip never came. Instead, upon seeing his reaction, she retracted the limb with a sad look on her face.

"Hmm alright," She said, bringing her hand to her chin in thought. "I guess I can see how it'd be scary just going into a stranger's place.. do you want me to bring some out here instead?" 

Kip honestly couldn't believe the question. And the fact that she hadn't touched him when he said _no._ He knew that statistically there _had_ to be good humans, with the sheer number of them alone, but he just never thought that he'd run into one in his life. At this point he didn't care about accepting help from her-- He likely wasn't going to find any food in this dingy alley by himself.

After a short hesitation he nodded up at the other, receiving a gentle smile in return.

"Well that I can do." She said with confidence, before fidgeting with her stance slightly. A moment passed before she spoke up once more, afraid of his reaction if she asked.

"...Want some help out of there first?" The question slipped out, and she bit her lip in worry.

Kip wasn't sure if it was her gentle smile or the fact she was _listening_ to him, but he nodded once again. If he was trusting her to bring him food, then he could probably trust her to get him out of here before Todd and Primm lost all hope of his return. He just only hoped that they couldn't see their interaction.

Her hand reached towards him again and instinctively he flinched, peeling back away from it even though she couldn't reach him until he walked closer. The human noticed though, and spoke up once more.

"If I scare you that much, I can try to find another way to transport you.." she said a little sadly. It would be a pain to find something that worked, but she didn't want to make him uncomfortable. 

Finally the seal behind his lips broke, and Kip found his voice once more. It was shaky, but it was there.

"I-it's okay," he said, rising to his feet and taking a few steps closer to her outstretched hand. "Please just put me on the ground." 

The brunette paused, shocked to hear him speak. "Of course," She quickly reassured him with a nod of her own. "Can I know your name?"

Kip hesitated for a second as he climbed onto her hand, trying to calm his shaking limbs. He'd already broken the second major rule of his people, and couldn't go back now. Besides, just his name couldn't hurt, 

"It's Kip." He answered shyly, not meeting the other's eyes.

"Kip? That's a lovely name," She complimented, and his cheeks flushed. "My name's Charlie." 

Despite his raging fears that Charlie was just going to keep him now that she knew he could talk, she actually bent over and gently placed her hand on the ground so that he could climb off. He was baffled by her actions, but grateful for them nonetheless. 

"I'll be right back with some food," She said with a wink, before realizing something else. If there was one of these guys out here, there were probably more. "Is it just you out here..?" She asked, voice drenched in worry.

Kip thought about it for a moment; He didn't want to expose Todd and Primm, but he also wanted to be able to get them food as well. Ultimately, his hunger won him over again and he shook his head. 

"Oh.." Charlie said again, her worried frown remaining. "How many of you are there?" 

"M-my family," he squeaked out, "There's three of us. B-but we don't need a lot." 

Charlie smiled, sending a feeling of warmth through the little borrower. "I've got just the thing, just give me a minute." 

".. _.Thank you_." Kip said quietly, but he meant it. More than he ever has before. Thankfully, it was loud enough for Charlie to hear.

"You're welcome, it's no problem really." She said as she stood up, turning back towards the door. A part of her deep down hoped that he wouldn't be gone by the time she returned. But he was trusting her, so she put some trust in him.

Kip waited patiently on the large cement platform, sitting down on the ledge of the top step. There were only two stairs, but each of them were twice as tall as him. He sighed, knowing that it would be a hassle to bring the food home with how sore his body 

Before long Charlie returned once more, the door startling Kip out of his thoughts. 

"I hope none of you are allergic to blueberries..?" She asked awkwardly, berating herself for not getting the answer _before_ deciding to grab him a full-sized blueberry muffin. She crouched down next to him and handed him the pastry bag, cursing as she realized that it was practically the _size of him_.

Kip however, hadn't seen or smelled something so appetizing in what felt like forever. His stomach audibly growled at the aroma that it brought, eager to dig in. The weight of the muffin pushed the bag onto its side slightly, enough for the borrower to reach in and grab a handful of it. He quickly stuffed some in his mouth, practically moaning at the taste of it. It was _fresh,_ like it had just been made within the last few hours.

Charlie grinned, glad to see that she had seemingly chosen the right thing. Kip seemed to enjoy it, eating handfuls of it like he'd never seen that much food before. Her smile faltered as something came to mind, and she couldn't help but ask.

"..Do you guys live out here?" She gestured to the alleyway. "Like, your family?" 

Kip swallowed his mouthful of warm blueberry and looked away somberly. "For now," He shrugged, although he knew it was a bigger deal than he was making it out to be. "But only because we had nowhere to go. We'll find somewhere new by tomorrow…" He said, purposefully leaving out the _'hopefully'_ at the end of his sentence.

Charlie's eyes grew huge. Were they seriously staying _here_ of all places? Her mind instantly raced to all of the potential dangers they faced out here, and her face grew pale. They were so small, what if a stray cat decided to wander by? What if somebody else found them who wasn't as nice? She couldn't bear the thoughts.

"Please let me provide you with something better than this?" She asked abruptly, eyes watery. The question took Kip completely off guard, and he stared at her wide-eyed. 

"I don't know what circumstances led you to living here but I can't imagine it's been very good." She continued, a pout on her face. "If you don't want to though, I completely understand. Trust is hard to earn."

Kip froze, barely able to process what she had just said. Was she offering for them to _live_ with her? Todd would never agree to something like that-- but, really, they had been living with humans their whole lives. It would be completely the same, just not the whole known-about part. 

He thought long and hard about her question, but had ultimately made his decision rather quick. After judging by her words and her actions and her _care_ , Kip came to the conclusion that staying with Charlie was infinitely more safe than any worn-out old tire, especially during the colder nights. Getting the others to believe that was going to be difficult, though. 

"...Kip?" She asked after a second, pulling the borrower from his racing thoughts once more. She nervously played with her fingers.

"Hm?-- Oh," Kip said, blinking himself back to reality. "U-uhm.." He brought a hand up to the back of his neck, not really sure how to go on. "You seem nice enough, so _I'm_ okay with it, but I don't know if my family will be. They're uhh, a lot more cautious than me." 

Charlie nodded. "I'm glad you're not afraid of me." She said, although it wasn't _entirely_ true. Kip's heart still skipped a beat whenever she moved or talked too loud, but he wasn't necessarily afraid of _her_. Just her size, really. And there was nothing she could do about that.

"Would it change their minds if they got to meet me with you?" She asked suddenly, not wanting to lose her one opportunity to help these little, poor, starving mouse-tailed people. "I can give you and the muffin a lift to where you're staying.."

Kip pondered that, knowing that the likely scenario would be Todd being outraged at him for 'outing their hiding spot to the enemy'. But with Kip's reassurance and the taste of this world-changing muffin, he _might_ be able to get his partner to come around.

"...That could work." The borrower said with a spark of hope in his voice, turning to look at Charlie with a small smile.

After a **_very_ ** long talk between the three of them, and a _lot_ of convincing on Kip's part, the borrower family agreed to go with the baker.

They ended up not finding another home, and whenever Charlie makes blueberry muffins she always seems to find one missing...


End file.
